The Firs
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27 Fore Street
Witheridge
Devon
EX16 8AH
| Care Type | Care Home |
|---|---|
| Care Category | Residential | Dementia | Respite |
| Availability | Call for details |
| Weekly Prices From | £1,200.00 |
| Regulator's Rating | Good |
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Meet The Manager
Harriet Hawkins is Care Home Manager at The Firs.
Harriet’s career has centred on supporting older people and ensuring care feels personal, dignified and truly meaningful. With over 20 years’ experience across health and social care, she combines frontline practice with care home leadership and a long-standing commitment to dementia care.
Harriet holds a degree in Health and Social Care. Her background includes working as an Assistant Practitioner in Accident & Emergency within the NHS, as a Care Home Deputy Manager, and leading large community-based services supporting older adults.
Harriet is a proud Ambassador with the Alzheimer's Society and volunteers in her spare time to deliver dementia awareness sessions within the community. Harriet’s contribution to dementia care was recognised during the Jubilee year of Elizabeth II, where she was honoured to receive a Platinum Jubilee Award.
The home is nestled within large acres of garden allowing many scenic seating areas and that feeling of being outdoors close to nature. The garden is complete with vegetable plots and a large pond with a variety of fish. Residents are encouraged to participate if they wish in the up keep of the gardens and advice and tips are welcomed by the gardener.
Within the home there is a large communal lounge with an adjoining conservatory overlooking the gardens, a grand hallway, separate dining room and an activities room. All bedrooms are spacious and come fully furnished with the choice of an en-suite where available.
There is a dedicated and skilled care team available 24 hours a day delivering person-centred and tailored care to each individual who resides in the home offering flexibility and choice around day to day living. The home is able to accommodate individuals who need residential care and those who are living with dementia.
The Firs can offer both permanent placements and shorter respite breaks for those who may have families going on holiday or who would benefit from some TLC. Understanding that moving into a care home can be a daunting time, and an extremely hard decision to make, there is flexibility around respite stays for those who wish to try a shorter break prior to making their final decision.
| Care Options | We Can Provide |
|---|---|
| Support For | Companionship, Convalescence, Emergency Care, End of Life, Independent Living, Palliative, Personal care, Reablement. |
| Disability Support | Bed Bound, Hearing Impairment, Physical Disability, Physically Frail, Requires Hoist , Speech Impairment, Visual Impairment, Walking Frame, Wheel Chair Bound. |
| Medication | By Mouth, Electronic Medication Management. |
| Nursing Specialisms | Cancer, Diabetes, Epilepsy, Heart Disease, Lung Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke. |
| Type Of Dementia | Mild Dementia, Moderate Dementia. |
| Dementia Behaviour | Mild Forgetfulness, Wandering . |
| Dementia Specialisms | Alzheimer's, Frontotemporal, Lewy Body, Mixed Dementias, Picks Disease, Vascular Dementia. |
| Respite Care | Yes |
Autumna has invited care providers to evidence the infection control measures they are carrying out, above and beyond those laid out by the government, in order to keep residents, staff and visitors safe.
| What we're doing to keep residents & visitors safe | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Firs is working within the government guidelines to help protect our staff and clients. |
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| Infection Control Initiatives in place | ||
|---|---|---|
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Independent Assessments | We have been independently assessed in our approach to infection control. |
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Infection Control Training | Our staff are trained to use measures which prevent and control infections. |
| Infection Prevention & Control (IPC) - Regulator’s Assessment | ||
|---|---|---|
| In response to the coronavirus pandemic, regulators have assessed the preparedness of care providers in relation to infection prevention and control. Details of the regulator’s latest findings can be found below. | ||
| Regulator: CQC | ||
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Use of PPE | The provider assured the regulator that it was using personal protective equipment effectively and safely. |
| View the provider’s latest Inspection Reports. | ||
| Connectivity for resident testing, monitoring & communications |
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Infection control and the safety of both residents and staff often requires quarantine measures and the isolation of care home residents. To test, monitor and allow residents to communicate with relatives, the prevalence of room-level connectivity within the home is becoming increasingly relevant. Wireless Internet access (WiFi) Yes, our care home has WiFi in all our resident’s rooms. Mobile Phone Network Coverage (mobile “signal”) Yes, our care home has mobile phone signal in all our resident’s rooms. Telephone for external calling Our care home provides a telephone in some of our residents’ rooms. |
Social media provides an up to date window on the activities within a provider's setting.
We are on Facebook| Minimum Age |
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| 60 |
| LGBTQ Welcome |
|---|
| Yes |
| Our Building and Facilities |
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Within the home there is a large communal lounge with an adjoining conservatory overlooking the gardens, a grand hallway, separate dining room and an activities room. A passenger lift allows easy access between floor. All bedrooms are spacious and come fully furnished with the choice of an en-suite where available. The garden is complete with vegetable plots and a large pond with a variety of fish. |
| Is Our Home Purpose Built |
|---|
| No |
| How Many Floors We Have |
|---|
| 2 |
| Who Owns Our Building |
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| Private |
| Communal Rooms |
|---|
| Activities Room, Conservatory, Dining Rooms, Sitting Rooms, TV Lounges. |
| What Else Do We Provide |
|---|
| Assisted Bathroom, Chiropodist, Dentist, GP, Hairdressers, Lift, Optician, Stairlift. |
| Our Garden |
|---|
| Communal Garden, Communal Patio, Pond or Lake, Private Garden(s), Seating, Secure Garden, Wheelchair Friendly Access. |
| How 'Smart' Are We? |
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| Individual Heating Controls, Interactive Digital Touch Table, Reduce Plastic Use, Solar Panel Heating. |
| Our Photos |
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| Description |
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All bedrooms are spacious and come fully furnished with the choice of an en-suite where available |
| About Our Rooms | |
|---|---|
| Number Of Rooms | 27 |
| Number Of Ensuite Rooms | 25 |
| We offer these types of ensuite rooms: WC and Basin. | |
| Type Of Room |
|---|
| Single Room. |
| Room Features |
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| Furnished, Garden View, Step Free Access. |
| Our Photos |
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| Weekly Fees Start From | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential Fees From / Price Per Week | £1,200.00 |
| Funding Types | |
|---|---|
| Local Authority | Devon |
| Region | South West |
| We Accept Self-Funding Clients | Yes |
| We Accept Local Authority Funding | Yes |
| We Accept NHS Continuing Healthcare | Yes |
| We Accept Local Authority funding with a Third Party Top-Up | Yes |
Choice Dining is a food-focused accreditation designed to give care-seekers like yourself the ability to consider and compare the dining experience within different care settings.
To be awarded the Choice Dining badge, a care home will have committed to delivering exceptional dining experiences with a strong focus on preference, individuality, hygiene and the environment. You can explore the specifics of all participating homes in the tab below to learn more about the food on offer, how it is served and presented and what they’re doing to cater for your personal taste. Find out more about Choice Dining.
| Styles of Food |
 Pureed
Vegetarian
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|---|---|
| Dining Locations |
Bedroom Dining
Lounge/Diner
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| Dining Styles |
Hot Trolley
Room Service
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| Hospitality |
Guests are welcome for dinner (Covid permitting)
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| Our Photos |
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The preparation, nutritional value and presentation of food.
Attractive drinks and adaptive cups/glasses are available and accessible where needed.
Individual dietary needs are person centred.
Meals reflect the nutritional needs of the residents.
Our menu is balanced.
Snacks are provided for residents that require texture-modified food.
Sweet and savoury foods are provided between meals (this does not just include cakes and biscuits).
Hot Trolley
Room Service
A critical component for good health.
5 Star Rated by UK Food Standards. Hand hygiene for both residents and staff.
We are following best practice including NICE guidelines as a standard.
We are conducting internal and/or 3rd party food safety audits.
We have allergen management policies in place.
A freedom to eat the food you want, when you want it.
Families are invited for meals [Covid permitting].
Residents dining in their own room have the same food options as elsewhere.
Residents dining in their own room have their food presented to same standard as elsewhere.
Residents have access to Dining Room.
Staff sit with the residents they support when they dine.
There is a weekly menu.
The best interest choices are made for residents unable to make their own choices.
Understanding the wants and requirements of every individual be it cultural, religious or dietary.
Vegetarian food can be served.
We can support people with Diabetes.
Delivering a respectful and quality service.
Residents are given appropriate and dignified crockery / glassware and cutlery.
Tables are well laid.
Staff understand and pre-empt potential meal-time behaviours which can impact nutritional intake.
Staff always use appropriate and dignified language (e.g. it is an ‘apron’ not a ‘bib’).
We promote an inclusive dining experience.
There are no unnecessary disruptions during mealtimes.
| Activities Are So Important |
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|
Within the home there is a large communal lounge with an adjoining conservatory overlooking the gardens, a grand hallway, separate dining room and an activities room. |
| Our Photos |
|---|
| Activities At Home |
|---|
| 1 to 1 Activities, Animal Petting, Bingo, Birthday Celebrations, Board Games, Card Games, Choir, Cooking, Crafts, Crosswords, Dancing, Excursions, Exercise Class, Flower Arranging, Gardening, Knitting / Embroidery, Music Entertainment, Music Therapy, Painting, Pet Therapy, Quiz Games, Religious Services, Reminiscence, Singing, Themed Events, Visiting Entertainment, Word Games, Yoga. |
| Activities Outside Our Home |
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| Local Tourist Attractions, Pub. |
The Go Green badge is designed to give care-seekers like yourself the ability to consider and compare a care home’s sustainability and green practices.
The below statements are changes that the care provider has acknowledged they have implemented towards a more sustainable future.
The operation, maintenance, and repair of a property
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Do you use LED light bulbs? | Yes |
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Are your windows double glazed? | Yes |
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Do you use eco-friendly cleaning products? | Yes |
The sourcing of goods and the landfill/recycling journey
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Do you monitor your waste? | Yes |
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Do you train your team on recycling practices? | Yes |
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Do you have systems for recycling throughout the home? | Yes |
Energy reduction and renewable energy usage
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Do you use solar power? | Yes |
Using digital rather than paper based processes
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Do you use digital payslips? | Yes |
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Do you use digital care plans? | Yes |
In-home and community projects that protect the environment
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Do you carry out projects that support wildlife? | Yes |
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Do you compost? | Yes |
| Our Pets |
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Pets are not allowed at The Firs. |
| Can You Bring Your Pet |
|---|
| No |
27 Fore Street
Witheridge
Devon
EX16 8AH
Regulator: CQC
| Current Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Overall | Good |
| Safe | Good |
| Well Led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
| Inspection Reports | |
| Last inspected | 2nd February 2022 |
| Last rated | 4th March 2022 |
| Current Report | |
| Historic Reports | |
| Registration Date | 19th January 2011 |
| Service Provider | South West Care Homes Limited, PL6 8BX |
The Firs Care Home - Care Quality Commission (cqc.org.uk)
| Transport |
|---|
| Bus Stop nearby, Car Park on-site. |
| Places of Worship |
|---|
| Anglican Church, Methodist Church. |
| Nearby Services |
|---|
| Church, Garden Centre, Local Walks & Bike Rides, Park, Post Office, Pub, Shops, Surgery. |
Frequently asked questions about The Firs
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